AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY: NEW YORK CITY EDITION

The Night at the Museum is an iconic feel-good movie that brings to life the exhibitions at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The film is magical and bigger than life by creating a sense of unity and family with exhibits and Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) a new night security guard at the museum. After watching it numerous times and having the privilege of going to New York recently, I had the opportunity to visit the museum and see the exhibits that made a cameo in the film. 

The Tyrannosaurus Rex 

One can visit and see the T-Rex, featured in The Night at the Museum, located on the third floor in the Museum’s Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs. The whopping four-foot long jaw and six-inch long teeth T- Rex is on display at the hall of dinosaurs for anyone to visit the tiny armed dino seen in the film. 

Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

The bubble gum-loving Easter Island head statue is also on display at the museum. The statue can be found on the third floor in the Hall of Pacific People. The statue is a replica made from a mold made in the 1934 expedition by the Chilean coast. Even as a replica, it’s majestic to take in the sight of the Rapa Nui.

Capuchin Monkey 

The first exhibit, the most iconic and even considered a sidekick of Larry Daley, is Cecil the mischievous Capuchin Monkey. Found on the third floor in the Hall of Primates, one can observe the South American Monkey. From sealing Larry’s copies of the keys to the museum the monkey, one can get close and personal with the hilarious monkey on the third floor.  

African Lions 

Some of the more ferocious exhibits in the film are the African lions. Found on the second floor in the Akeley Hall of African Mammals, one can see the pack of Lions and Lionesses that were shown in the film. In the hall, there are also the African Elephants that were also shown in the film. By visiting the hall you can see two exhibits shown in the film. 

Mammoth 

The enormous and intimidating exhibit of the skeleton of Mammuthus, which was found in Indiana, is a relative of wooly mammoths but larger and lacking the coarse hair. They can be found on the museum’s fourth floor. As depicted in the film, one can only gauge so much at the immensity of the build.

I would recommend doing this self-guided tour if you ever visit the New York museum. The museum is immense, so having this quick tour can be fun and exciting due to the ability to immerse oneself in the iconic film. I would start on the second floor of the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda and go from there. Magic awaits, so enjoy the museum and many more of the exhibits on display it has to offer!  

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